Agenda and minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet Member held on 19^th January, 2010 be signed as a true record.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Clifton Park Restoration Project Board held on 7^th December, 2009.

Resolved:- That the minutes held on 7^th December, 2009 be received.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Dawn Roebuck, Senior Accountant, which set out performance against the revenue budget for the Environment and Development Services Directorate as at the end of December, 2009 and provided a forecasted outturn for the whole of the 2009/10 financial year.

Pressures within Culture and Heritage included staffing costs in Theatres (£38k) and the payment for South Yorkshire Archives (£15k) these pressures were being offset by an underspend on staffing in Museums (£50k). 

Pressures within Sports and Recreation included solicitor costs (£18k), operational costs at the Stadium (£35k), unrecovered debts (£64k), loss of income at Country Parks (£30k),  but the delay in opening Clifton Park was partially offsetting these pressures (£50k-).

The Service continued to work towards establishing the financial position of the Clifton Park Restoration Project.  The Service was taking legal advice with regard to payments either due or from the Administrator dependant of the results of the assessment being carried out by the Quantity Surveyor. This had not been confirmed at this stage.  However, additional costs have already been incurred for site security as a result of UCS Civils leaving the site (£50k+)

Overall Libraries were forecasting an underspend (£22k-) and pressures within Libraries Management were being offset by staff vacancies, book fund savings and an expected reduction in RBT charges (£39k-). 

It was noted that the Culture and Leisure Service was continuing to work on achieving savings offered as part of setting the budget for 2009/10.

Discussion ensued on the Museum’s insurance monies post floods 2007 where it was confirmed that a decision had not yet been taken to corporately offer part of this to mitigate pressures within Environment and Development Services.  Officers were asked to ascertain the implications of offering all or part of the insurance monies and to look at options to assist with the overall budget management issues.

Consideration was also given to the reasons for variance from the approved budget for Culture and Leisure Services, the impact of underspends on the Environment and Development Services budget position overall and what steps were being taken to bring this budge to a nil variance.

Resolved:- (1)  That the current forecast year end outturn position of an overspend of £227,000 for the Environment and Development Services Directorate based on expenditure and income as at December, 2009 and forecast expenditure and income to 31st March, 2010 be noted.

(2)  That this report be referred to the Regeneration Scrutiny Panel for information.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Lizzy Alageswaran, Principal Officer, Community Arts, which set out the progress and sustainability of the Rotherham Diversity Festival Group and their performance against NRF funding targets, with suggestions for future support from the Council.

The Rotherham Diversity Festival Group was now much more confident about their ability to stage the festival as an independent group.   The new Management Group had planned training days to improve their skills in running the group and this year the Council’s Community Arts would be moving their supporting role away from assistance with staging the festival and other events and more towards supporting the group to increase their skills, capacity and accountability.

The new Management Committee was currently addressing their organisational development and future sustainability and was considering appointing a worker to assist with their capacity building and fundraising efforts, to put the festival on a more sustainable footing. In addition, a Management Committee Member was being supported on the Pinnacle programme, in Huddersfield, to increase Leaderships Skills.

The group had already this year submitted an application to Arts Council England for £21,289 towards the 2010 Festival, again liaising with Rotherham Arts, which, if successful, would offer an opportunity to generate more lead-in and contributory projects and encourage engagement in the development of the festival.  However, it must be recognised that Arts Council England had now been supporting the festival since 2005 and may not continue to make this their priority.  Other funding and income streams needed to be identified, at a time when sponsorship and funding was more limited and the NRF funding for 2010/2011 would be key to levering additional funding.

The Community Arts Service and Cultural Services would, therefore, continue to offer support to the group, particularly in identifying future funding streams and also to foster relationships with other community and artist led groups in the area, to contribute to a more representative network across the borough. Community Arts would also work with the group on any future consultations on the provision of arts and cultural activity.

Discussion ensued on how to engage with other multi-cultural audiences and whether or not Clifton Park would have been sufficiently restored to host the Rotherham Show for 2010.

Resolved:-  That the recommendations for future support for the Rotherham Diversity Festival Group be supported.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Angella Parker, Principal Officer e-Library Services, which set out how the Rotherham Library and Information Service was offering customers 24 hour access to library services, in particular extending services and engaging with customers via Facebook and other Web 2.0 applications in ways and at times when library service points were normally not open.  

The report set out in detail what Library Members could access and examples of libraries already using Web 2.0 applications.

Discussion ensued on the online book renewal system, the proposals to launch a new library catalogue and reasons why certain applications, which were being promoted by the library, were not accessible on Council owned equipment.  It was suggested that consideration be given to allowing certain web 2.0 applications and social network sites to Elected Members and employees and monitored to avoid abuse.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received and the contents noted.

(2)  That the commitment be approved, in principle, to the development of Web 2.0 services by the Library and Information Service.

(3)  That consideration be given to allowing certain web 2.0 applications with access to social network sites to Elected Members and employees.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relates to finance and business affairs):-

Resolved:- That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act (information relates to finance and business affairs).

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act - information relates to finance and business affairs)

Consideration was given to a report presented by Mark Scott, Principal Officer Theatre and Arts Centre, which detailed the competitive tender process which had taken place to seek a pantomime producer to produce pantomimes at Rotherham Civic Theatre. This was for a period of three years with the option of an additional year subject to customer and client satisfaction.

Both the production quality and financial proposals were critical elements of the decision making process and the report set out in detail the competitive tendering procedure.

Discussion ensued on the tendering process and what this entailed, the minimum specification required by Rotherham Theatres, producers’ experience and the financial arrangements.  

It was noted that the pantomime at Rotherham Civic Theatre was very popular and efforts were always made to choose one that did not clash with nearer competitors.

To assist in assessing the success of the Civic Theatre it was suggested that a report be submitted to a future meeting setting out audience figures etc. and what kind of shows were more popular than others.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the appointment of Spillers Pantomimes as the producers of the annual pantomime at the Civic Theatre for the duration of the contract be approved.

(2)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting setting out the audience figures for performances at Rotherham Civic Theatre.